Details

ITEM#: 13961709

DAVID DAVIS is a contributing writer at Los Angeles Magazine and a contributing editor forSportsLetter. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Smithsonian Magazine, The New York Timesand The Best American Sports Writing anthology. He lives in Glassell Park, CA.

The epic clash of an Irish-American, Italian, and Onondaga-Canadian that jump-started the first marathon mania and heralded the modern age in sports

The eyes of the world watched as three runnersdirt poor Johnny Hayes, who used to run barefoot through the streets of New York City; candymaker Dorando Pietri; and the famed Tom Longboatconverged for an epic battle at the 1908 London Olympics. The incredible finish was contested the world over when Pietri, who initially ran the wrong way upon entering the stadium at Shepherds Bush, finished first but was disqualified for receiving aid from officials after collapsing just shy of the finish line, thus giving the title to runner-up Hayes. In the midst of anti-American sentiment, Queen Alexandra awarded a special cup to Pietri, who became an international celebrity and inspired one of Irving Berlins first songs. InShowdown at Shepherd's Bush, David Davis recalls a time when runners braved injurious roads with slips of leather for shoes and when marathon mania became a worldwide obsession. Standing next to Cait MurphysCrazy 08 as an invaluable look at a bygone sporting era, Showdown at Shepherd's Bush is a dramatic narrative aimed at the recordsetting number of marathon participants in the United States (more than 500,000 in 2010!) and other running enthusiasts, and timed nicely for the return of the Olympics to London in 2012.

Specs

ISBN

9780312641009

Genre

SPORTS & RECREATION / Olympics

Format

Hardcover

Pages

308

Publisher Date

2012-06-19 00:00:00.0

Publisher

Thomas Dunne Books

Copyright Year

2012

Height

8.75 in

Unit weight

0.9 lb

Wdth

6.0 in

Thickness

1.25 in

Language

English

Subtitle

The 1908 Olympic Marathon and the Three Runners Who Launched a Sporting Craze

Afterword by

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